Lyon Lake Fishing in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Lyon Lake sits in Herkimer County, out in New York. The surface lies 2,008 feet up. The water covers some 85 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 1.8 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On our Herkimer County list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Lowville is 26 miles out. The big place round here is Kingston, 75 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lyon Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Herkimer County include white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout and brown bullhead. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Lyon Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 64°F at the top of summer and 13°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Lyon Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Diana Pond, 0.9 miles away. For Lyon Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.